Woman in the water
by iDealStorys
Summary: A demon has been terrorizing the half brother of a prominent warlord and it becomes all out war when the demon steal his brother away, a war that Inuyasha and company are quickly dragged into, but they quickly learn that things aren't all the appear to be.
1. One: Rusc Ariwa

It had been weeks since the two had gotten to see each other, those weeks seemed like an eternity and passed by just as slowly. He had been away from her in the human lands near the sea, claiming the ships of mighty sea raiders whose flesh he loved so much, they were juicy little morsels he thought. And she hidden in human forests hunting their deer, and their birds and what ever else she could stick an arrow in, she was excellent at this.  
>As per usual she had left her winnings with the cooks at home, and awaited his return, still dressed for the hunt, sword at her side, and as per usual, he came for her without hesitation, scooping her up in his palm before carrying her off to one of their many secret places.<br>The sky burned its usual shades of blistering reds, the clouds were brilliant tufts of fire, looming in the sky that held two moons on a sky line that seemed ill-fitted for them and ready to burst. The giant laid nestled in the blue grass of the swooping hills of their lands, his body so massive he barely fit in the tremendous swooping curve of the hills, his head resting at the peak of one hill, his feet at the peak of another. And on his burly chest, a tiny mass of purple and red, his lady love.  
>The two often visited this place, it was one of the few places the giant felt as though he weren't so terribly large, even a giant like himself found it very hard to feel so large when under the twin moons, it was impossible to say the least.<br>They stayed that way for quite some time, drinking in the pale moonlight.  
>For a long time the giant thought about speaking but he feared he might have awoken the little mass sleeping on his chest, and the very idea pained him. Most things about love pained him, he was very new to it, he was so used to killing and destroying things, preserving the tiny mass was a completely foreign affair, but he did his best.<br>He shifted some being careful not to wake the sleeping mass, a difficult task, for a creature his size.  
>The mass awoke slowly, shoulders rolling back as she pulled her into a very comfortable sitting position. She didn't say anything, theirs was a romance of very little words, his voice far too loud for her sensitive ears, and hers, too soft for his own dulled senses, silence for them said more than words ever could. But still sometimes, the giant liked to speak.<br>the giant put out an enormous calloused hand out to his lover, silently asking her to step into his palm, a feat she did without so much as a complaint, wrapping her arms around his thumb that was easily a foot or two taller than her, though despite this she didn't seem the least bit bothered. The callouses on the giant's palms were like stones, dry and just as hard if not harder but all the same she held him and even kissed the cracks in his rocky skin with soft plum colored lips. The giant though lacking the lips to do so smiled, as he adjusted himself further, sitting back pressed against one of the hills, one of his gigantic knees pulled close to his grassy chest.  
>They stayed like that for hours watching as the red sky darkened to even bloodier shades of reds and dark bleeding purples, and the sky swelled with the dual moons it held. The clouds had all but vanished into thin dark wisps and taking with them the fiery effect they had, the girl missed them, but the new lights in the sky that replaced them seemed to quench her thirst for their return. Instead now she was simply captivated by the lights, they weren't stars, the nights in this place were almost always starless. These lights weren't new, a soft familiar shimmering thing pulsating in the dark radiating with energy, portals to the other side. Humans must have been looking for them, for their world, they usually always were, the little war like creatures were rarely ever done fighting, they had a pension for refusing to give up, much to the giant's enjoyment. He stood up setting his love down, the lights were calling him, she knew this; her giant had a love for battle, war was in a fumori's blood, in his blood, their blood. And she would never deny him the joy of battle, she knew far too well not to do so, especially not to the champion of all warriors, the giant had never lost a battle, and even lived in a home made out of the skulls of his vanquished foes, he brought her there many times, each time his conquests in battle loomed over her, frightening, overbearing, beautiful...<br>The giant stepped away, bowing to his fiery haired love before very carefully edging into the darkness, following the lights of the portals in search for battle. Behind him his tiny lover waved him off as he left, his every foot step forcing the ground to tremble beneath him.  
>His tiny love's hand slowly fell back at her side once the giant was out of her sight, she puffed out a small sigh, looking up at the sky, filled with portals and awash with pale moon light, she stood a moment longer, feeling as the last fleeting trembles of her lover's footsteps faded, she waited until she could no longer feel him to return home, a large manor in filled with the bodies of the slain that sat a beautiful omen in the middle of a blood red lake. She walked due east, towards home a far and long walk without the help of her lover, but she was used to going without his assistance, and that's what he adored about her, beneath all of her femininity and red hair there was a very capable warrior with a heart that swelled like summer heat.<br>She was a ways off from the old pathway that lead back to her village but she intended to take her time, taking slow steps, savoring the walk, but something caught her eye, something bright and shimmering, a gentle rippling glimmer in the dark of night, she frowned, she barely realized it had gotten so dark, the last rays of sunlight finally vanquished by the night. Nights beyond the waters were always peaceful, humans didn't dare plunge through the portals during these hours, it was always far too dangerous, for them at least.  
>The source of the rippling hadn't been anything serious, just the light from one of the many portals in the sky reflecting in a small pond overlooked by large swooping willows that grew in gnarly and knotted twists. She frowned, she'd never seen a portal there before, though in fairness she knew the portals were always moving not quite hitting the same lakes, rivers, or ponds, but even still it was fairly easy to tell where they would end up, and this place, was never one of them, this was new and the curly haired fumori liked new.<br>She pulled her wooden mask over her face, as she approached the pond, the water was a murky sort of green, and glowing twice as bright, she eyed the water for a moment before stepping inside more than eager to see what awaited her on the other side.  
>She emerged from the water moments later, her deer hide clothing soaking wet. She looked around, the trees were different in this place, warped somehow she thought frowning some as she took off her mask to further investigate the area. There was nothing only the trees that were taller and so much more different than the ones she was accustomed to seeing in her world.<br>Scattered white flower petals littered the lush grass nearest the small pond, the flowers had come from an old blooming dogwood tree decorated with a fine ring of parchment cut outs, she had never seen anything like it and she found herself studying it for quite some time.  
>She smiled a little wider, her attention back on the blossoms, taking in the their sweet scent, savoring it on her tongue as she set her mask down at the roots of the old tree before taking a seat besides the pond taking the time to ring the water from her bright red curls.<br>The morning sun crept between the leaves of the trees, leaving a kaleidoscope of shimmering greens and blues dancing across her soft lavender skin with the shadows.  
>Around her the forest was silent, the sounds of wildlife almost nonexistent, she wasn't used to such silence, and it made her uncomfortable to say the least.<br>She sat staring into the thick of the forest her hand reaching behind her for her mask, she felt eyes on her, she didn't much like the idea of humans watching her like she was prey, "Who goes there?" she shouted trying to peek between the densely packed trees, there was definitely someone there, she could smell the human hiding in the brush.  
>"I-I seen you...yuh-you came from the water, what kind of demon are you?"<br>She frowned. "How long have you been watching me man-beast?" she asked fingers wrapping finding the hilt of her sword, "Were you waiting to catch me off guard-  
>"Yuh-yes but I meant you no harm, I simply wanted to admire you was all, you look so different from the all of the demons I've seen...granted that isn't many," said the human in quick bursts, as he slowly stepped out from the brush.<br>"I do not need your adoration man-beast or your lies," she added, very quickly moving in front of the man, he hadn't even seen her move, her large sword drawn its blade pressed against his throat, she had even been wearing her mask again, she eyed him closely from behind the single eye slit in her painted wooden mask, watched the fear eat at his expression.  
>"I'm not lying I swear!" the man sputtered quickly. She frowned pressing her sword harder against his throat. "I swear! I've never seen a demon like you...you look otherworldly."<br>"Because I am not from this world...silly man-beast," she said softly slowly placing her sword back in its sheath, her gaze never falling off of him. He was a tall fellow, taller than her if only by a few inches. His hair had been dark almost as dark as his eyes, like looking into black pools. "Nor am I a demon...now return to where ever it is you come from, leave me."  
>The man stood frozen for a moment staring at her, there was something regal about her, she dressed in ragged leather, fur, and ripped cloth but she spoke like a noble.<br>"Why do you speak like that?"  
>The woman didn't answer.<br>"You talk like nobility...but you don't dress like one even highborn demons wear fine-  
>"My kind are different," was all she said. "Man-beast," she added when she noticed the confused look on the man's face.<br>"Ariwa," the man choked.  
>"Hm?"<br>"That's my name...Ebbisu Ariwa-not man-beast," the man corrected, she smirked lifting her mask.  
>"Ebby-su ...very well," she said stiffly getting a look from Ariwa that was nothing short of disappointed, she made a face. "I assume you wish to know who I am?"<br>"A name would be nice," Ariwa admitted with a very nervous laugh, it was rare that anyone spoke to a demon without the threat of being devoured.  
>"They call me Rusc,"she said stiffly. Ariwa gave Rusc the weakest of smiles. "This place...this forest is...strange. I wish to see more of it," said Rusc changing the subject, smiling a little wider now, Ariwa made a face, as gentle as her tone was it was very clear that Rusc was demanding to be shown the area. He paused for a moment wondering if showing a demon the area were such a good idea, her lavender skin, horns, and large animal like ears were a dead giveaway that she wasn't human, anyone who'd seen her would have screamed demon and killed her, he thought but looking at Rusc's her more than determined expression told him she would have explored with or without him.<br>Ariwa frowned deeply taking a long deep breath, "Ruh-right...this way then...just erm...wear this, people might ummm get scared...because of your looks," he muttered taking off his haten, draping it over Rusc's tiny shoulders like a blanket. "That should help some," he muttered making a face as he his eyes falling on the tall horns and goat like eyes that made up just some of Rusc's very un-human features. He sighed, swallowing hard before leading the way out of the forest.  
>Rusc followed Ariwa from above, silent as a church mouse, and blending in better than a shadow in the dark. Ariwa frowned, beginning to wonder why he had even bothered to give his haten to the demon in the first place, what with her brilliantly hidden in the trees he doubted anyone would have found her out. He couldn't even hear her moving, the gentle stirring of the leaves in the trees could be easily mistaken for the wind. Her silent footsteps were frightening, he couldn't even sense her presence like he could a normal demon, there was no foul heaviness they in the air, no stench of sulfur, no shifting feeling of discomfort, it was nonexistent with this woman, and that seemed to scare him more than anything.<br>Rusc had been expecting a village, clusters of small wooden huts with thatched roofs, but that wasn't what awaited them outside the forest, instead there had been a massive castle, awash with light, the sky was awash with swollen summer colors, smoldering shades of orange and yellow, prickled and blistered shades of reds and bloody purples that darkened round the splintered horizon line, seemed to set fire to the dark red tiles of the castle roofs.  
>Rusc let out a soft barely audible gasp, she had never seen a castle quite like it, it was a huge building, more so in width than it was in length, though it towered over the world all the same. The castle was layered, each new layer strategically placed, each a little smaller than the last. The tiled roofs were swooped down and upward, curled ever so slightly, Rusc wondered how they had gotten them to do such a feat.<br>Surrounding the castle was water, pristine and almost crystal clear, though the water had never touched the large structure, a thick island of stones and tall wood walls kept the water at bay.  
>"Ebby-su what is this place?" Rusc asked peeking out of the leaves, her strange eyes watching Ariwa closely.<br>Ariwa flinched looking up at Rusc swallowing hard on the air. "It's a castle," he said after a deep breath, his voice dripping with smugness. Rusc ignored this. "Don't you have castles where you come from?" he teased, Rusc gave him a look and he quickly apologized, regretting his words instantly.  
>"Our castles do not look so...strange."<br>"What do your castles look like?" Ariwa was curious now.  
>"They are...big stony things," she frowned looking for the right words. She hopped out of the tree, landing softly besides him. "Like this, look," she began again, leaning over the ground, drawing into it with a long sharp nail. Ariwa made a face, peeking over Rusc's small shoulders to get a look at her little picture, his Haten got in the way of his view, just slightly. She had been drawing some sort of building, Ariwa noted watching as her fingers moved adding more and more to her drawing. "They have big towers...like this...and tall gates and oooh the walls go all the way around like this.." she trailed off some to etch a little more into the dirt. Ariwa blinked.<br>"They don't seem very beautiful."  
>"Maybe...but they keep the enemy out. I'd rather be a live in an ugly castle than be dead in a beautiful one," she smirked looking up at Ariwa, who could only blush nervously.<br>"Yeah...I suppose you have a point there," Ariwa nodded his head standing upright again sighing. "So you don't live in beautiful castles or dress in fine clothing...you and your people really are strange," he made a face not fully comfortable with calling demons people.  
>"Strange is trying to be beautiful in battle," Rusc said rather matter-of-factually<br>"Well...you're not in battle now," Ariwa pointed out, Rusc made a face frowning some, he had a point, she thought to herself as she looked herself over, she was dressed for a hunt but hunting had been the last thing on her mind.  
>"Point taken, Ebby-su," she was smiling now, brushing curly strands of fiery red from her face with little luck, her hair was wild and long trying to tame it was close to impossible.<br>Ariwa gave a slight smile, licking his lips nervously, Rusc had reverted back to silence, her eyes on the castle once again.  
>"The sky looks like its on fire," Rusc muttered weakly, "it's like home," she frowned pausing some.<br>"Home?"  
>"Yes...it's a beautiful place...just on the other side of the water...the skies there are red...and the moons are beautiful-<br>"Moons?"  
>"Yes...we have two in my world, most beautiful things in the world...its a pity you humans only have one."<br>"I think one's just fine...I don't think I could imagine having more than one moon," said Ariwa with a slight grin, he barely realized he had been following Rusc towards the bridge that lead to the castle grounds, his mind had been so set on the ideas of Rusc's world, red skies and two moons, it sounded nothing short of strange and yet there was some small part of him that deeply wanted to see it all, and he barely noticed where he was leading her off to. "but it sounds-  
>"Beautiful?"<br>"Not the word I would use..." Ariwa said honestly looking over to Rusc, she had been standing at the very edge of the large lakefront, eyes on the water, "The waters pretty deep over there," he warned her but Rusc only giggled.  
>"I can see my house from here...how strange," she whispered softly, "I didn't realize this place was here."<br>"What are you talking about there's nothing there...its just water."  
>"Oh don't be a silly man-beast...you seen me come out of the water...you said so yourself, what do you think is on the other side?"<br>"More water I would think," it was an honest answer, and it brought a clumsy smile to Rusc's lips.  
>"You're funny," she teased. "On the other side of the water...at least for my people, are worlds, sometimes yours...other times ours."<br>"Right," said Ariwa rolling his eyes, she was a creative demon he would give her that much.  
>"You don't believe me?" Rusc almost sounded wounded, and Ariwa found himself regretting his words once again, mentally kicking himself. But Rusc quickly began smiling once again, brushing her messy curls out of her face only to have them flop back into place again. "How about this..." she said in in a labored grunt as she lowered herself down, slipping her feet into the water, "I'll return in three days...same place...and then you will know," she continued to speak as she lowered herself deeper into the water. The water was frigid and cold but she barely seemed to mind it, never so much as letting out a shiver.<br>Ariwa flinched. "You really shouldn't be in there...I don't think its-"  
>he was cut off by Rusc's soft laughter, she was deep in the water now, the water was at least up to her chin, he could barely make out the rest of her form, her body hidden behind a mass of swirling bright red hair. "Three days!" she shouted, and then she was gone, leaving only his haten just barely floating above the lakes surface<br>Ariwa blinked confused. "Three days," he muttered weakly, that's what the demon had said she would be back in three days.  
>She didn't lie.<br>Three days time she returned, he almost didn't believe she would come but there she was at the pond where he'd first seen her wringing the water from her hair, she had been wearing a dress this time, a long dark blue dress with long skin tight sleeves that billowed at the joints, and at her side, her sword.  
>"You weren't joking," Ariwa was breathless and Rusc smiled her hair a wet red mess.<br>"I told you," was all she said, with a slight smirk. "Now do you believe me?"  
>"I believe you're very good at holding your breath," Ariwa teased before flinching half expecting to be attacked but Rusc only smiled playing her fingers through her hair. Ariwa forced himself to smile, it was strange being so close to a demon and not once being threatened. Rusc was strange, different; she was the exact opposite of the demons he feared, she was actually interested in humans, they intrigued her, it was almost as though she had wanted to be apart of their world though she had never said it, instead she asked about his world, small questions, like "who's your king?" or "do you serve in the castle?" easy questions.<br>"Well...actually my brother's the warlord of this region...well sort of he's been trying to conquer the rest of this region but there are other warlords trying to do the same, I just sorta help around the castle."  
>"You don't fight?"<br>"I'm not into the whole dying thing," he muttered weakly, half expecting Rusc to call him a coward, but she didn't, at least not in so many words.  
>"Well someone has to deal with the home affairs...I myself have never been in the wars either, my brother has, and my brothers and sisters before them..." her voice trailed off, and it was clear that she didn't want to speak on the subject anymore, he could tell without asking, the distant somewhat foggy look the gathered in her eyes. He knew that face well, he wore it so many times himself. He let the silence linger for a bit afraid to speak for fear of saying the wrong thing.<br>"I think I'll be going," her voice broke the silence, heavy with some unknown emotion, not quite sorrow but something fairly close. Ariwa frowned.  
>"Ah-already?"<br>Rusc managed a weak smile. "Yes," she was straining herself for the words and he almost didn't want to say anything.  
>"Will you come back?"<br>"The man-beast wants a disgusting creature for company?" she snapped before pausing putting a hand to her mouth almost instantly. "I'm sorry Ebby-su...I-I suppose I'm upset," she explained.  
>"I can see that, any reason why?"<br>"Talking about my siblings made me remember how dangerous you man-beasts are...I used to have six brothers and sisters...I only have one now," she said stiffly glaring at Ariwa as though he were to blame. He took a deep breath, swallowing hard on the air, trying his best to find the right words, he had spent so much time speaking with her he had almost forgotten she was a demon, but now, now she was very clearly a demon, her pupils swelled to angry horizontal slits.  
>"I'm sorry."<br>"Don't be...unless you killed them," she forced another smile, "I should go," she said softer now.  
>"Will you...come back?" Ariwa asked curiously.<br>Rusc made a face, pretending to think, "Three days," she said softly, and so quickly she rushed back to the pond from where she came from.  
>And again she did, over and over again. Weeks passed and a routine was made, Ariwa found himself rushing to the pond, sometimes with food, other times with books or scrolls, things to read, something to talk about that wasn't silence and death. And when Rusc arrived they would talk for hours, she would bring her bow with her, even show him how to use it, not that he was any good, though Rusc never seemed to be upset about this, she would only laugh before shooting a bird out of a tree. "Make a fire," she'd say. "Lets get some food in that tiny belly of yours."<br>And he did.  
>While food was cooking he would read aloud, Rusc ever so often peeking over his shoulder to read with him, but it was clear she couldn't make out the characters on the page, and she would often lose interest in his stories taking to exploring the forest around them, never going too far. They'd eat in near silence and talk about their worlds a bit more and then Rusc would leave with the promise of returning in three days, and she always did.<p>

"Ebbisu?" Ariwa flinched his head snapping upward, eyes falling on two girls not too much older than one another, they were standing just a few feet ahead of him on the castle bridge, eyes filled with concern.  
>"Yuh-yes!"<br>"You've been out and about lately," began the obviously younger of the two girls. Ariwa made a face nodding his head nervously.  
>"Suh-sorry Tsuna I umm...just found a nice place to read in the forest...there's this little pond and this tree and its pretty comforting," he lied, making his way towards them.<br>"Wow I never pegged you for a scholar!" the voice cried out, and Ariwa flinched, he wasn't much of a scholar but, it was a lie that seemed at the very least believable.  
>"Well Mr. Scholar you might want to hurry your butt up! Master Tokutomi's returned from battle... he's been looking for you...and he isn't happy," the other girl began shouting, another familiar voice. Ariwa made a face, swallowing hard, suddenly wishing Rusc had been a cruel demon and had killed him weeks ago when they first met at the pond.<br>"R-right," Ariwa sputtered, practically choking on the air as he spoke. He rushed back to the castle, though no matter how fast he seemed to move if never seemed to do him much good.  
>The halls of the castle were anything but empty, soldiers walking around and laughing, the while castle had become a barrack. The place reeked of sweat and unease, that the Tokutomi's men brought with them, it was the smell of war. And he couldn't help but wonder why Tokutomi was looking for him, what was so important he had to leave the battle to find him? he couldn't help but think of Rusc, and somehow he knew, he'd been caught with the demon, there was no doubt in his mind about that, someone had seen him with Rusc and sent the news to his half brother. They thought he was plotting with devils and Tokutomi...Tokutomi was only there to put him to the sword.<br>Ariwa swallowed hard, the air suddenly felt a little heavier and his chest ached, he even felt a little light headed, as though he'd been holding his breath for hours. He gulped down the air hungrily. He could barely move his legs, it was as though his muscles had turned to jelly, he could barely keep himself up, floundering up steps in search for his brother.  
>Tokutomi had been in a meeting when he found him, dressed head to toe in armor, he was speaking to one of his generals about something or another, Ariwa was never much into warfare or even war talks, the jargon didn't quite sit with him, all he could make out was that they were losing matched, and resources had been wearing thin. Ariwa made a face, he didn't like the idea of that, it just sounded like a reason for his half brother to be all the more upset.<br>He cleared his throat, catching the attention of the men in the room, they had all been poured over a rather large map, fiddling with set pieces atop it, but now, they were watching him.  
>Tokutomi's arms folded over his chest, his eyes darker than the darkest night. "Ebbisu," his voice was cold and distant, but there was a sense of relief that held in his voice. "Leave us," Tokutomi continued and very quickly the generals bowed to him before leaving quickly without a word.<br>"What's going on?" he managed to squeak.  
>"Don't worry about it...we're not losing, they might have one this one but the war ain't over yet," he gave a thin lipped smile. "What's wrong with you? You look like hell."<br>Ariwa made a face.  
>"Tsuna said you were angry-<br>"Angry? Heh...no I'm not angry. Just a little concerned for my little brother...what's up with you? People tell me you've been running off lately, hiding in the forest and what not," Ariwa was almost shocked to hear that he didn't bring up Rusc. "Taking the entire library with you-  
>He licked his lips searching for an answer. "Oh well...I umm found a pond in the forest...good for reading"he said quickly.<br>"And eating? People say you've been taking a lot of food out there too," he was clearly suspicious, and Ariwa tried his best not to give himself away. Deep breaths.  
>"Well it's like I said-<br>He was cut off, his brother was graced with a quick temper and the sword pressed against the side of his face was only roof of that. Tokutomi's hand was clamped firmly over Ariwa's mouth keeping all the little sounds in.  
>Ariwa couldn't think, his heart pounding loud and hard in his skull, pulse ringing in his ears. He knew, was all he could think about, Tokutomi knew about Rusc.<br>"Someone said the enemy has spies on our side...you meeting up with the enemy?" he slid his hand from Ariwa's mouth, allowing him to speak, his blade still very much pressed against his cheek, he could feel the sharp cold steel slicing into his face.  
>"No-no-no...I'm not I swear! I-I just go there to eat...ruh-really there's a pond there and its really nice I just...I just eat there...please," he couldn't help but feel pathetic, crying like some sort of woman, his nose was a dripping mess and his eyes were blurred over with tears.<br>His half brother glared at him a moment longer, before retracting the blade smiling coolly.  
>"Was that all?" he laughed, "And here I thought you were consorting with the enemy all this sneaking around I heard you were doing." he continued, laughing a little harder as he slid his blade back into its hilt, Ariwa sniffed hard on the air, pressing his hand hard against his cheek.<br>"Oh come-on it's not that deep, be a man and suck it up, lets get that bandaged up," Tokutomi continued still laughing, in a voice that made Ariwa tremble beneath his brother's arm.  
>A few servants bandaged Ariwa up, all their thread had been used up on the Tokutomi's soldiers that were still very much walking around the castle grounds as though they owned the place. Ariwa just wanted to disappear, his half-brother had been in the doorway talking with someone, his eyes never falling off of Ariwa, staring into him, he could tell he was still suspicious of him., but he did his best to ignore his elder sibling.<br>The three days slipped by and Ariwa found Rusc waiting for him drying her hair by a small fire that was lapping hungrily at a fat bird she had shot down not too much earlier.  
>"Man-beast," she chimed when she seen him before freezing when she seen him, her eyes falling on the bloodied bandaging on his cheek. "What did this to you?" she asked raising to her feet eying him closely, he flinched away from her touch.<br>"My umm brother...it was an accident," Ariwa said quickly, he didn't need to rely on a demon. Rusc made a face clearly unsatisfied with his answer.  
>"Somehow I doubt that," she muttered eying him closely before sighing.<br>"It doesn't matter-  
>"Of course it does, you're talking to a being raised on bloodshed...and you come to me smelling like it...do you know what that makes me want to do?"<br>Ariwa swallowed hard on the air, shaking his head nervously. Rusc's pupils were horizontal slits again, her gaze penetrating his soul. "Come here Ebby-su," she said stiffly, Ariwa almost didn't want to but the tone in her voice made it clear this wasn't something up for debate. He didn't make her repeat herself.  
>She looked him over at first before ripping the bandaging from his face, tossing it to the ground. She brought a finger to her lips, tearing into her thumb with her teeth, drawing...not blood but some sort of sticky white fluid he flinched.<br>"What is that?"  
>She ignored his frantic rambling rubbing her sap like blood over his wound. It stung, as though she had rubbed a fist full of salt into his still open wound-<br>"This might feel a little weird," she said picking up the bandages from the ground, before walking over to the fire.  
>"Wha-what did you do to me?"<br>"I fixed you. You're wound is gone now...you're welcome," was all Rusc said as she made her way back to the water.  
>Ariwa frowned. "And now you're leaving?"<br>Rusc didn't respond instead she stared past him, looking through the trees. Ariwa could hear shifting behind the brush, the sound of fumbling feet and snapping twigs, someone was there, he frowned, he almost hadn't realized Rusc was already gone, clearly not wanting to be caught, as curious as she was about humans she held a certain amount of caution around them.  
>He blinked rubbing his cheek, his wound was gone, healed perfectly and without a scar at that. He frowned wishing he could thank Rusc, but instead he found himself sitting at the fire, regretting returning to the pond, regretting meeting Rusc. He wondered who it was who'd seen them, he had some ideas but he forced himself to believe it was just some sort of wild animal, but deep inside he knew that wasn't it.<br>Ariwa didn't return back to the castle that night, the anxiety of being caught talking with a demon had reduced him to nothing short of a statue, he was frozen in place, frozen in that moment, his muscles made to rigid stone. He stared blankly into the fire Rusc had left behind, and the fat bird within it, he watched until his eyes burned and the fired licked the bird to a black blistered crisp that crumbled away into nothingness.  
>The sun fell behind the trees and still Ariwa didn't return home, he didn't want to.<br>Morning came and still he didn't leave, afraid of what might have happened if he did, more afraid of that than he was any wolves or creatures of the night.  
>But it didn't matter because the morning brought visitors.<br>"So this is the pond you were talking about? Nice," his brother's voice made his blood freeze over in his veins.  
>"Tokutomi what are you doing here?"<br>"You didn't return to the castle," Ariwa made a face, staring at the smoldering remains of the fire that had died out not too long ago. "I knew you were lying about something."  
>"You had someone follow me."<br>"You sound offended," he could practically hear the smile beginning on his half brother's face.  
>"I'm not offended I just don't see why-<br>"Oh stop that! You lied to my face yesterday!" Tokutomi was yelling now.  
>"I didn't," Ariwa whimpered like a child, voice barely lifting off the ground.<br>"You've been coming out here...to consort with demons."  
>"I haven't."<br>"And you're still lying. Where's the beast?"  
>Ariwa stood up glaring at his elder sibling, he was about to speak but he wasn't able to make out the words as his brother began screaming again.<br>"What happened to your face?"  
>"You cut me remember!" Ariwa said before freezing remembering Rusc and her sappy blood, quickly he gripped his cheek the fact that his wound was gone but it was too late.<br>"You think I don't know I sliced your face open? I remember that I did it. Where did it go?" he snapped, his sword out and pointed in his direction.  
>"I duh-don't-<br>"Don't! You had a cut on your face and you're going to tell me what it happened to it," Ariwa didn't need to ask "or else," he swallowed hard on the air and teary eyes told Tokutomi, everything.  
>"This demon of yours...is a god send...they're exactly what I need. to win this war," Tokutomi said after Ariwa had finished speaking.<br>"What does that even mean?"  
>"You'll see...when you bring it back!"<br>"I can't...she always leaves and then comes back on her own. She always takes three days..."  
>Tokutomi liked this, three days was enough time to get some of his best warriors together to kill the beast<br>Three days was more than enough time, he and his men had three days to waste on a little demon hunt.  
>The three days passed, and the demon didn't return. Tokutomi wasn't pleased, he had more days to waste but what he didn't have was the patience. He took it out on his brother, for each hour he and his men wasted, Ariwa was forced to taste his brother's fist. He was a liar, his brother made sure to remind him after every blow, he brought it upon himself, the list droned on.<br>The three days easily became weeks, and Ariwa was beginning to believe that he had made up Rusc in his mind, though he didn't seem to mind the idea, not much anyway, Rusc being imaginary meant that she wouldn't have been killed.  
>He leaned harder against the old dogwood tree, his gaze fixated at his brother's hiding spot in the trees through swollen blackened eyes.<br>The air was heavy the threat of rain, and the sky was a dark and ominous grey, the clouds swirled above them dangerously fat and heavy with salty water and the wind began to whip past Ariwa, cold air nipping at his exposed arms, legs, and face.  
>The water in the pond began to stir, and Ariwa flinched, silently praying it was a fish or even a turtle, but he knew better than to hold onto false hope.<br>"Ebby-su," her voice broke through the silence, as she pulled herself out of the water. She had been dressed for the hunt again, sword at her side as it always was.  
>"Why..."<br>"Oh, I'm sorry my brother returned from battle and-  
>"No...why did you come back," Ariwa managed to squeak. Rusc frowned looking up at him pushing wet hair up and out of her face, her tawny eyes examining his expression. She bit the inside of her cheek, heart sinking some. Ariwa didn't have to look at her to see she noticed the bruises, his entire body had been covered in them; bruises of differing colors, some deep and bloody purples, others sickly blues rimmed entirely with harsh greens and crusted looking yellows.<br>"Who did this to you?" she snapped, Ariwa didn't answer, he didn't have to, within an instant Rusc was drawing her sword, standing in front of him protectively. "Show yourself cowards!" she snapped eyes on the trees.  
>Tokutomi stepped out from between the trees, his long black hair tied pulled back into a tight pony tail. He wore a cruel grin.<br>"So the she beast returns," he hissed, five or so other men coming out of their hiding places behind the trees.  
>Rusc snorted, clearly not afraid of Tokutomi's men or their swords.<br>"The only beast here I see is you," hissed Rusc, "What you have done to to Ebby-su is unforgivable, I shall give you a moment to pray to your gods now if you have any," hissed Rusc taking a proud step forward, Ariwa almost wanted to tell her to stop, but he couldn't find the heart, as much as he didn't want his brother to hurt her, he didn't want to be killed either.  
>His half brother just only laughed.<p>

Ariwa couldn't tell who had started the fight, but he could tell who was winning, and though for a long while it had been Rusc, Tokutomi's sword wet with Rusc's blood said otherwise. The sound of clashing metal rung loudly in his ears, as Rusc fended off his half brother's every attack. every so often whirling round to cut a man down to size, but even at her best his men easily had her out numbered.

Rusc let out a paine howl as an arrow buried into her knee, she bit past the pain, eyes welling up with water threatening tears as she yanked the arrow from her knee cap; her screams were drowned out by Tokutomi's maddened laughter. but she didn't care, she was working on adrenaline and rage; she held her sword high above her head, before lashing out Tokutomi with a quick strike that found its mark on his face, splitting it into a near half from forehead to lip. His screams woke the birds and shook the trees, Rusc had never heard a human scream so loudly, she quite liked the sound and she reveled in it as she stabbed her sword into the ground, turning to Tokutomi's men writhing with fear, she could smell the fear in their sweat, the putrid smell of piss and shit spilling into their trousers, she could feel herself getting cocky, and she didn't care as she smiling tore the beating heart out of one of Tokutomi's men. Her fist broke through their armour and tore through their rib cage like a knife through year old parchment. She crushed the beating organ in her hand, watching as left over blood pilled through the ventricles of fleshy beating thing. She stood over her triumph like a god reveling in it, she barely noticed what was left of Tokutomi's men slinking between the trees.

She wiped the "left-overs" onto her deer hide skirt and before freezing. "RUSC!" Ariwa's voice broke through the rage induced madness, the red in her vision fading away as her body stiffened in shock. She let out a choke of a gag, white sappy blood spilling over her lips. Tokutomi smiled, twisting the blade he'd slide into her gut, she grabbed his shoulders with trembling hands on instinct and sucked in a scream that Tokutomi ripped out of her as he plunged the blade deeper into her gut. Rusc pushed him away from her, and Tokutomi smiled his little blade held firmly in one hand, his split face in another. He smiled a little wider, bringing the knife to his lips lapping the blood up like a starving vampire. He could feel his wounds stitching themselves back together, feel his entire being pulsating with demonic energy as her blood healed him.

"What a beautiful gift," he mused moving his hand from his bloody face. "Let me relieve you of it," he hissed charging at her again this time with his sword that he scooped off of the ground. Rusc gritted her teeth, gripping the open wound on her stomach, as she stumbled back to her sword. She stole the metal behemoth from the ground staving off one of Tokutomi's attacks best she could, her sword held defensively above her head, she almost didn't notice the the wounded grunt readying himself to shoot an arrow at her, she tried to find a way to get away from the arrow, but Tokutomi made sure her attention didn't stray from him; he grabbed a fist full of her fiery hair with his free hand before slamming his fist into her face, again, and again, and again... her blood splattered over him and everything else like paint: it was in the grass, and on the trees, and even over his face, and he felt stronger because of it. So much stronger.

Ariwa watched mortified as his half brother tore into his new friend, one fist at a time. He gritted his teeth rushing at his half-brother with a tightly closed fist, and he punched Tokutomi so hard it dislodged his jaw and made him stumble several feet back. Ariwa stiffened, the fear settling into his bones like clay. "Eh-Ebby-su," Rusc managed a weak smile slowly sliding onto the ground, he made sure to catch her, she was heavy but it didn't matter.

Metal and wood sliced through the air and Ariwa let out a terrifying shriek, that made Rusc falter in his arms, her sword arm fell limp at her side but she did her best to tighten her grip on her weapon as best she could. Ariwa sucked hard on the pain.

"Ebbisu what are you doing? Get out of the way!" Tokutomi hissed, watching as his half brother eased his way between Rusc and him. Rusc eyed the two carefully, slowly backing away into the forest, trying to get away.  
>"No! You get away from her!" Ariwa's screams pierced Rusc's chest and she found herself watching helplessly as Ariwa released her and tore the arrow from his abdomen jamming it into his brother's shoulder as deep he could, pushing him all the while. He jumped onto his half-brother, pounding his fists into his face: over and over and over and over again until he couldn't anymore. He hovered over Tokutomi's body panting heavily, his heart pounding just as loud in his ears as he tried to process what he had done, he picked himself up, backing away from the carnage that was his brother's crumpled form.<p>

And then so quickly he was running, Rusc's hand in his own. He wasn't sure if she had yanked him away or if he had yanked her away but he didn't care, they were running together now, behind them his half brother was screeching for them to be captured.  
>But they just kept running, and running, and running...ducking and dodging into the foliage of the forest, using the cover of the trees to their advantage, they would never be found, Ariwa thought through breathless pants for breath. Never.<p> 


	2. Two: Ariwa

Ariwa was strong, stronger than he remembered himself ever being, he never would have imagined himself carrying Rusc on his back, hole in his gut, running with her dead weight on his back without getting so much as a strained calf. For a half dead man, he felt surprisingly great, he felt like he could do anything, run faster, jump higher, and he did. He ran so fast the wind hissed past his ears, he had lost Tokutomi's men hours ago, but he still felt the need to run, his heart was racing in his chest, a terrible mixture of fear, adrenaline, and the ecstasy of death's kiss grazing his neck- he could run for days, run until the skin melted off of his bones, and the marrow in them crusted over, he could run until he was nothing but brittle bone, until he was a pile of dust in boots and robes, and then he could run some more, but a soft voice ripped him from those thoughts, "Ebby-su," the voice had been going on like that for quite some time, breath grazing the very top of his ear, the smell of blood and warm breath falling over him. He tried to pretend he didn't hear, but he was terrible at pretending.

"Ebby-su, please," her voice was so weak it pained his soul to hear. "Please," she began again weaker now.

He didn't want to listen, Ariwa wanted to keep running, everything seemed to make sense when he was running, when the world was just a blur, and he wanted to keep it that way, keep the silence, keep the blur, but he couldn't, because the voice was growing weaker and weaker still, and he knew that if he kept running, soon, the voice would fade away into silence and he'd be alone, he didn't know how he knew but he did, some how. And Ariwa knew more than anything that he didn't want to be alone.

He let himself fall to his knees, he let himself drop onto the hard cold earth, every part of him aching to run, but he swallowed down the urge for speed as best he could. He rolled Rusc off of his shoulder, plum features paled and obscured by blood that seemed to coat her like a layer of risen. "Rusc," her name fell clumsily from his lips, the air caught in his lungs. He swallowed hard on the lump that had formed in the back of his throat.

"Rusc puh-please,"he muttered weakly, begging for a response. He couldn't help but feel as though he had he had stopped too late, as though it was all over, as though Rusc was gone, truly gone. His heart ached, the idea of this kind creature who had over the days befriended him made his heart scream with such agonizing intensity. It hurt. More than the hole in his stomach, the whole in his stomach that had long ago healed over and vanished.

The universe had a cruel sense of humor, spare him the one who had put her in this situation and punish her. _Why?...why...why not me? Take me instead! Please! Take me! Take me_! He screamed at himself internally. "Rusc- please,"he managed to choke. _Please just take me...Please_, he continued to beg the gods in his mind; he made wagers, and promises, most of which he knew he could never keep, but mostly, he begged. He begged and cursed himself, begged, then cursed the gods, then begged some more.

But nothing changed.

There was only silence, the sort of silence that gripped the world in a sense of unease.

The minutes churned by in painfully slow ticks in the back of Ariwa's head before Rusc's eyes opened, just barely, just enough for Ariwa to catch a glimpse of those familiar yellow irises, flickering with life. "Buh-bark-tree bark," she began to stammer, her injuries impeding her speech, he imagined it was too painful for her to speak and he began to wonder why he wasn't reeling in pain with her. And then so quickly he remembered her blood, Rusc's blood that he had been practically swimming in for hours, he imagined there was more of her blood covering his body than there was rushing in her veins.

Rusc repeated herself, weaker now more than ever, Ariwa hung onto every word.

"Tree bark alright...why?"

"Shhh-"she muttered weakly, "ch-chew-" he paused, somehow figuring out what Rusc was getting at, somehow he knew. He rushed to the nearest tree, clumsily tugging the bark off of the tree, using his fingernails to dig between the cracks in the bark, to tear it free. He stuffed the bark into his mouth, chewing hard on it, chewing it into a fine paste; the bark tasted awful, like something dried and dirty, with a sticky wetness that seemed to be trapped inside like salt and weak old rain. He chewed past the taste before spreading the paste into Rusc's wounds. He gazed at his handy work, making makeshift bandages from the sleeves of his haten. He wrapped her nice and tight, muttering silently to himself that she would be alright, she had to be. He told himself as he moved her into the shade.

* * *

><p>He sat besides her for some time, watching over her, she didn't seem to be getting any better, he wondered if he should have been worried, he tried to tell himself there was nothing to be worried about, that everything was fine but he couldn't seem to believe it, not fully anyway.<p>

Night fall crept on them, Ariwa almost hadn't noticed the change between tending after Rusc and trying to gather his wits about him. He made a small camp fire, just like Rusc taught him, he tried to get them something to eat, but rabbits were too fast and birds seemed to be even faster. Nightfall came and he decided he wasn't hungry anyway, he sat with Rusc wrapping her in his torn and bloodied haten; he told her stories, though he wasn't sure if she was listening to him, still the sound of his own voice comforted him as the cold night crept up on them.


	3. Three: Tokutomi

Tokutomi reclined in the tub, the hot water gnawing at his skin, churning his fair skin red with heat, not that he minded much. The heat felt great on his body, like a lot of things lately, ever since the demon's blood practically spilled over him just a week ago, ever since then he felt better, stronger somehow: like he could scale a mountain in a single stride, rip trees out from the ground with just a finger; he felt like he couldn't be touched, by anything or anyone ever, he felt undefeat-able, deathless, and it was all because a little demon blood had spilled over him. He had to admit, he liked it, the new found power that came with being drenched in the foul creatures blood was nothing short of amazing, he barely cared, that the servants were afraid of him now, that there were rumors floating about, rumors about his strength and his and how quickly he had healed from the fight. It was all so unnatural, frighteningly so, and yet he still couldn't find it in him to care, all he cared about, at least for the moment, was getting his hands on more blood.

He let his shoulders fall some, heaving out a heavy sigh as he did so. "Tsuna," he had known she was there even without so much as even looking at her, her the soft sound of her footsteps gave her away. "Any news of the demon? Or my brother?" he added quickly, there were wanted posted everywhere, someone somewhere had to know, had to have seen, something, a wounded demon and a half dead man, don't just disappear someone somewhere had to have them, and it was only a matter of time before they handed them over.

But the deep breath Tsuna took only dispelled those thoughts. Tusna swallowed hard on the air as she gave a slow shake of her head in response.

"I'm sorry mi-lord," she began in a nervous sort of whisper, it was a whisper many people spoke to him in. "You're troops have come back..."

Tokutomi hadn't sat up faster. "And?" there was a slight pause as though Tsuna had been trying to figure out what it was he was talking about, did he want to know about Ariwa? Or the demon? She took a moment, baiting a breath, testing the words out on her lips for a moment.

"I didn't see Lord Ariwa with them sir," she said earnestly, and Tokutomi snorted rather loudly, as though to prove his disinterest.

"What about the demon?"

"I-um..." Tsuna silenced herself taking a nervous step backward terrified that she might have ended up on the receiving end of her master's notorious temper, but she wasn't. Tokutomi, despite the cold expression he wore, was surprisingly calm.

"Thank you Tsuna," he muttered quietly before turning to her, taking in her soft features. Her long black hair tied back and hidden beneath a green headscarf, she had been holding his change of clothes in her arms, a small bundle held close to her chest. He stared at his clothing intently for a moment. "You can leave those there for me...thank you Tsuna," he said coolly before pausing some. "Oh Tsuna before you go, have some people set up some wanted posters...it's been nearly a week now, someone has had to have seen them," he said finally turning away from the girl who gave a quick but nervous nod of her head before ducking out of the room as soon as she set his clothing down.

* * *

><p>He stayed in the water a while longer, thinking to himself; his men had come empty handed, the prospect of his men failing had never bothered him more than it did now; he couldn't believe that they hadn't found the demon who stole his half brother, the demon whose blood had granted him these otherworldly powers-and then he began to think; what if his newfound powers ran out? The question reverberated in his skull, bouncing around in his mind and searing itself wherever it landed. He didn't want to think about what would have happened if the demon wasn't caught, if the powers ran out, he didn't ever want to be without the feeling of being unstoppable-no, he couldn't let that happen, he'd have to find the demon and quickly.<p>

He hastily dressed himself, his skin, wrinkled in places and prickled with red from the water. He walked walked out of the bath house, wringing the now cool water out of his hair, as he made his way to his war room, where his men were waiting for him, sweaty and stinking of must and sour earth and blood. They had been gone so long and he hadn't been ashamed to say he had forgotten most of their faces. He took a moment trying to remember names, though when they didn't come to him immediately he began to speak. "So you've come empty handed," he muttered stiffly, in audible grumbles came were the reply that came, he didn't care for them. "It's been a week," he reminded them. "It's been a week and you returned here empty handed," he was yelling now, slowly making his way over to his men who were trembling with fear, hidden well behind their facades of bravery.

"They were both wounded and you couldn't find retrieve it? You let the demon go!" he hissed yanking one of the men to their feet, his fingers piercing through the armor protecting his chest, like a knife through butter. Tokutomi frowned, he could taste the fear emanating off of the man, quivering in his grip. Tokutomi glared at the man, eyes watching him closely, he gave the man a good squeeze, digging his fingers deeper into him, letting his fingers bury themselves deeper into the man's flesh, ripping past the clothing and into his supple flesh. He could hear the horrified screams, and the the breathless murmurs, he could taste the fear, more satisfying now than ever. He could feel his blood, warm and hot running down his arms. "I want that demon," he growled.

"That demon has given me a gift that will allow us to finally win this damned war. Think about it, all of us untouchable, stronger than ten thousand men-deathless," he whispered.

Silence was the only reply that greeted him, but as he dropped the man in he'd been holding onto so tightly, he couldn't find it in him to care. The man fell to the ground with a sickening _thud,_ eying Tokutomi, a hand gripping his chest firmly, his breath in short spurts.

"We'd be unstoppable and all we need is that demon," he finished.

More silence, but this silence was different, though the fear and panic was still evident it was slowly being stamped out by something else, something that Tokutomi quite liked; he didn't have to tell them what to do next, somehow his previous speech held with them, gripping them tightly by their spirits forcing their bodies to move on their own. They left to find the demon.


	4. Four: Sango

The group sat eating inside of the large room in mostly silence, a silence that seemed to only be interrupted by the occasional fit of laughter from the servants, who on occasion to to peeking out from behind the door a the small band of five.

Inuyasha made a face, glaring at the girls from behind his bowl of curry, he didn't like the way they were eying him.

"Inuyasha give it a rest already," came Kagome's shrill warning, the silver haired demon pretended not to hear her at first.

"Easy for you to say," he grunted. "They're not doing it to you!"

"Doing what?" asked the monk who for the past hour or so been too wrapped in his own thoughts to notice the two girls outside their door, giggling amongst themselves, he supposed he was too tired to notice, normally he would have been the first to notice them but not now.

"That!" Inuyasha snapped sneering at the girls, watching as they backed up afraid that they would have been in trouble after being caught by the group. They listened silently to the girl's frantic footsteps that were quickly silenced by a loud "_Thump," _that was quickly followed by whining and footsteps.

The door opened the master of the mansion eying them closely, he was a stern old looking old man, with fine clothes that seemed to almost hang from his thin frame.

"These two trouble makers weren't bothering you were they?" he asked, he had the two young girls by the arm, looking each of them over, studying their nervous expressions.

"No not at all,"Kagome lied smiling out at the old master of the house, and Sango quickly agreed.

"Yeah well you two speak for yourselves!" Inuyasha barked getting a look from Kagome, Inuyasha made a face, trying his best to ignore Kagome's stare that was making him a little more than uncomfortable. "Those two brats have been giggling and gawking at me all night!" Inuyasha complained.

"Oh please like someone would want to gawk at you Inuyasha," Shippo was immediately silenced by a quick whack to the head.

The old man frowned glaring at the two girls again. "Well then,"began the old man with narrowed eyes just barely opened, "Explain yourselves," his voice was practically a hiss. The two girls flinched exchanged looks as though asking each other if it were alright to speak, it was.

"Lord Tokutomi's brother was kidnapped by a demon a week ago," one of the girls began in a near breathless whisper. "And there's a huge reward for whoever finds and captures the demon."

Inuyasha couldn't contain his laughter, the two girls were small fragile things, with their near sickly pale skin and scrawny arms, he doubted they could fight off much of anything.

"Please and you two thought you could take me on? Fat chance even if I did kidnap anyone its not like you two would stand a chance against me."

"The modesty with this one," Miroku teased getting an awful glare from the half demon, he gave a weak smile turning to his demon slayer, her dark eyes were narrowed and misted over with tears; he knew that face, it was the face she always had when she was thinking about her own brother, her siblings name slipped from her lips, confirming the monk's suspicions.

"What's on your mind Sango?" the words were a little forced though genuine, he was always a little nervous about talking about her brother, it was always a horrible sensitive topic, especially for her.

"I can only imagine what he's going through," Sango said her voice a whisper, she barely noticed the girls being dragged away by the old man barely noticed Miroku's sharp glares at Inuyasha for saying something either too pig-headed or smart-assed, barely heard the "sit boy's," all she seemed able to think about was what the girls had said, a demon took someone's brother. Kohaku might have been gone but she could at the very least she could save Tokutomi's stolen brother. She licked her lips.  
>"I think we should help,"she managed to say.<p>

Inuyasha snorted, an almost instant reply.

"Inuyasha!"

"Hey don't you Inuyasha me! We can't help everyone ya' know, its none of our damn business, we stop in almost every town to help with people's _stupid_ problems and it's like none of you even care about the fact that we've gotta find and kill that bastard Naraku," Inuyasha was barking at her. "Or did you forget that?" sneered the half demon, though he didn't really mean it, he was only trying to set her straight but the look on her face said he went a little too far, though in fairness it wouldn't have been the first time, he'd gone too far this time. Kagome's disapproving glare told him so.

Sango cleared her throat, forcing Kagome to swallow the words that were gathering in her mouth.

"No it's fine Kagome," were her first shaky words, that threatened tears. "I didn't forget we were looking for Naraku, but its been weeks and we haven't even seen a sign of him, no demons, no shards, no stupid tricks not even a single saimyosho," Sango was glaring at everyone now, nostrils flared, her eyes filled with some sort of strange emotion that was a horrid mix of sadness and desperation. She needed this, they could tell, she needed something to get her mind off of the fact that they hadn't found Naraku, and by extension, her brother. "We can't just spend all our time chasing ghosts! If we have the chance to save anyone...anyone at all, then we should take it."

Sango managed to meet everyone's gaze, everyone with the exception of Inuyasha who was too proud to look her in the eye, giving a yeah "yeah whatever," not long after the others had finished giving Sango's idea their approval.

The conversation fell into silence while and they finished their dinner quickly, every-so-often breaking out into small spurts of conversation overtaken only by laughter and silence.

* * *

><p>Morning arrived quickly, though for some it couldn't have arrived quickly enough, Sango lay awake most of the night, feigning sleep while Inuyasha pretended not to notice, it was easy to not to notice some one not sleeping but not noticing them crying, that was impossible.<p>

Sango still wasn't doing well when they left the mansion, but she pretended she was even when Inuyasha probed her with accusing glares, she was always just fine, just focused on finding Tokutomi's brother, and killing the demon that stole him away. In her mind she pretended they were finally saving Kohaku, she knew they weren't but in the slightest way it helped. It was just enough to take the edge off. Just enough to keep her sanity in check.

"So where are we going, Sango .since this is your mission ya know," Inuyasha began refusing to tiptoe around his friends feelings.

"Well," Sango swallowed hard on the air. "The girls said that Tokutomi lives in a castle on the other side of the forest, we can get some answers about where the demon took his brother from there," said Sango, barely noticing the looks people were giving Inuyasha, or maybe she did.

"Seems easy enough," was the last thing said before the group fell back into silence, but it was a good silence, the peaceful sort of silence that traveled with you, a silence that was good for thinking, it was a comfortable and warm sort of silence.


	5. Five: Thorphen

The giant returned from his battle, his enormous ankles covered in the tiny pockmarks of a thousand failed attacks with puny iron swords, not that he minded much, his skin was so hardened he barely ever felt their cold blades trying their best at hacking at his feet, trying their best to fell him as though he were some sort of tree, but he was much greater than some oversized stick, he, was nature's ferocity made flesh.

The giant took the abandoned roads and pathways to family home of his betrothed, it didn't take him very long to get there, though she lived quite far from him, his massive strides made short work of what otherwise would have been a very long journey of a walk.

The sun beat on his back on his way there, their sun was a cooler gentler sun than the one the human's lived under on the other side of the water. A bright orange marble in the sky that light up their world but did not much else; the world beyond the water was never particularly hot, even during the hottest of summers, but they didn't care much, the people beneath the water were people with very little to complain about, they lived for their small battles, and their families- they married, fought, and loved beneath a sun that never scorched and they could never find reason to complain.

When the giant arrived at his tiny lover's home, he was filled with a sense of unease, his plum skinned bride to be had always greeted him, running up to him begging with big amber eyes to be scooped up into his hand where she'd leave several kisses on the cracks and creases on his calloused hand. But she didn't.

The giant's gaze narrowed some, glaring down at the tiny house that for most must have been towering and oppressive, but to him it was nothing more than a pinprick in his vision.

"Roosk," he called for her, his lip-less mouth made his lover's name hard to pronounce; he half expected her to come running out of her house arms spread wide and eager to greet him, but she didn't. He considered calling her a second time but his voice was thunder, and she would never miss the boom of his voice, still, he called out to her a second time, and then a third; his voice reverberating into the clouds.

Still she didn't emerge from her home, He felt sick, the only thoughts in his mind suddenly awful ones, he couldn't help but think that something had happened to his little love, he had never felt anything quite like the feeling that was surging through him, like his heart was breaking in two.

"Thorphen!" the giant whirled around at the sound of his name being called by a voice just as large as his own.

Behind him stood a large plum colored wolf with blazing red eyes and twisted horns that almost curled into his ears.

"My apology's Day-rho-gone," Thorphen said stiffly, giving a respectful bow to the beastly wolfish creature.

"Have you seen Rusc?" the wolf's mouth barely moved, but the words left its lips all the same.

Thorphen narrowed his eyes; his little love wasn't home, and her father didn't know where she was either, the sickness came back, braiding his guts in tight knots. He took a deep breath sucking in so much air he thought he might have swallowed it all and left everyone else to suffocate. Rusc's father asked his question a second time, more stern this time round than he was the last.

"No," Thorphen muttered, his voice booming around them for miles, birds scattered from their perches in the nearby trees if they hadn't already. "Been out-fighting," he continued to the best of his abilities.

The old wolf's silence was telling, and Thorphen could read the fear in his eyes. He narrowed his eyes, feeling sick as his fear churned into a deep seeded anger; he felt as though someone had set a fire in his chest.

He knew where she was, what happened to her-it was so terribly unlike his fiery huntress to leave without telling her family, without telling him...no he knew what this was, it was humans, it was always humans.

"The Man-beasts," Thorphen snarled his voice carrying for miles and for a moment he could have sworn he had heard the old wolf whimper. Man-beasts, the wolf knew too.

* * *

><p>Thorphen wanted to go to war, he wanted dye their waters red with their own blood and set there crops alight with fire; he would do that and so much more in the name of his tiny love. He had half the mind to leave for the human world beyond the water right then and there, to find the ones who took his love from him and subject them and all of their people to the full extent of his wrath-but he didn't, he couldn't, something stopped him.<p>

"Don't do anything brash," the wolf's cold tawny eyes were fixated on the giant, "I'm sure she's just hunting...human forests are teaming with game," the wolf continued, though it didn't sound entirely convinced.

Thorphen made a face. "Man-beasts have her!"

"We don't know that for certain."

"So you want us to wait until we do? By then-

The old wolf cut Thorphen off mid-sentence, it had heard enough. "No...no waiting...I want to be sure they took her before I kill them," said the wolf licking its maw. Thorphen stifled the urge to howl out in protest, the old wolf had centuries on him; Daedhrogeon had fought in more battles than Thorphen could count, and he'd won every one of them, his house was built on a foundation of heads severed from the bodies of those who dared to cross him. Big as he was Thorphen didn't dare argue with him.

"My son is back from battle," the wolf started up again. "We'll send him for his sister-

"And then we crush the little man-beasts!" Thorphen roared his voice trembled through out the world a vibration that set chills running down spines for miles in every direction. It was a chilling howl, a promise, a war cry that demanded blood and bone, and he'd get it, he knew he would. Even if they had gotten Rusc back, safe, and sound, he'd kill the lot of them just for making him worry, He'd devour the world, and plunge the dirty little apes in a darkness there was no returning from, he would do that and so much more for his tiny love, she was worth is, he told himself repeatedly.


	6. Six: Briachon

They called him Briar heart, because his heart was hard as briarwood, he was not a compassionate or particularly patient young man, especially not with his younger sibling. He had never looked at a creature with more disdain than he had his sister; it wasn't because she disgusted, him though perhaps that did impart add to his dislike for Rusc, no, Briachon just wouldn't let her in, like he wouldn't let anyone in. His world was stolen from him by man-beasts, and getting close to anyone, letting anyone in only meant pain. But when his father approached him in the thick of the dead woods, he felt a twinge of concern for his young sister.

"What'd you mean she hasn't come back...the lass' giant is here innit he?" Braichon asked in his usual cold voice,

"I mean just that," his father said stiffly, the old wolf wasn't much for explanations.

"I'm surprised 'er giant hasn't called for blood yet," Briachon whistled leaning against an old dead husk of a tree.

"He has, plenty of times, he's saying the man-beasts took her," the old wolf huffed out a breath and shook its mane. "I'm making him wait, but who knows for how long I can keep him here."

"Why? Why keep him here at all...it's not like you to back down from a fight, let alone stop someone else from getting their share of fun," Braichon smiled a cruel grin, that his father was all too used to. The old wolf glared out at his son and frowned.

"Maybe, but the dullahan calls the fights not us, when we hear the call for war, we fight...its been silent. But now your sister's missing, and Thorphen will have his revenge, and it will be paid in oceans of man blood...the man-beasts may be dangerous but no one deserves the punishments that giant has in store for them. He won't wait around forever to find out where Rusc is, or who has her...

"So while you're still able to keep him here you want me to look for her?"

"Yes. She could just be lost again...or hunting, she said she found a new forest-

"What if she isn't lost?" he cut off his father who began to give him a dead stare. "What if it's the man-beasts like Thorphen said...what then?" Briachon asked with hints of genuine concern clinging to his voice, and his father shook his head and huffed out a sigh.

"Do what you must."

Briachon smiled, he smiled long after he had left his father to find the portal his sister had gone through, smiled all through the night as he awaited the lights.


	7. Seven: Ariwa

The days were starting to pass and Rusc wasn't getting any better, her condition seemed to gradually worsen; she was paler than death itself, and drenched in sweat, and her bright red hair didn't seem so bright, its color seemed duller somehow. It was early morning and the morning dew brought a sort of freshness with it that made Ariwa hopeful, but looking down at Rusc, at her blue kissed lips he couldn't help but frown.

She was getting worse, that was obvious. Ariwa bit the inside of his cheek, feeding the fire that was dying yet again. She would be fine if she was warmer, he thought fanning the fire some, if he could get her warmer she would be fine, he told himself, repeatedly like a mantra. He didn't really believe it though, this wasn't a slip in a cold lake, this was something only medicine could solve...medicine meant going back, going back to Tokutomi, it meant betraying Rusc. He heaved out a sigh, he didn't know what to do, he wanted to cry out for Rusc's help but in her condition he would have been lucky to get a grunt in reply.

He wiped the dew from her face with his sleeve and heaved out a sigh, he was hungry but he didn't dare leave her; he wondered how long he'd stayed like that still by her side, not moving not eating, he hadn't been like that the first day or so, no the first day he tried his hand at hunting, small things like rabbits and birds, but he wasn't very good at this-after a while he had given up hunting, and just sat there, sat with her, occasionally he would chew on blades of grass he tore from the ground, sucking out what little moisture they could give him, but it was never enough.

Though he never noticed much, he had been too preoccupied with caring for Rusc, making sure she was alright, that she was safe and breathing; he didn't know why but it felt as though doing protecting her was the most important thing in the world-he never noticed how weak he was, how fast his own health was slipping away through his fingertips.

Ariwa didn't notice when the sun set far beyond the trees and the moon rose above them, he had been in an out of consciousness most of the night, the forest was so quiet, it was as though it were mourning them already. _We're not dead yet_, Ariwa wanted to shout into the night, but he didn't have the lungs for it, he coughed out a laugh, just moments ago he could run to the moon and back and now, now he was knocking on death's door, he wondered if it had something to do with Rusc's blood, it wasn't impossible he thought alternating between watching the forest and watching Rusc. The forest was so still...with the exception of the very faint flicker of ghostly lights bobbing in and out of his vision from between the trees. Some evil specter he thought, barely conscious.

* * *

><p><em>Darkness fell upon them, and he couldn't tell if he was awake or dreaming, maybe he was doing both, he heard stories about that sort of thing.<em>

_The darkness was cold and engulfing, suffocating almost, he felt as though he would never leave it. And he didn't want to._

_He didn't want to return to the pain, and the cold, and the hunger...and Rusc._

_She was there...with him, in the dark, her plum skin returned to its usual vibrant color, she looked better, better than he had ever seen her and she smiled at him._

_"Ebbisu," she whispered her voice breathless, "You took such good care of me," she continued. Ariwa flinched at her words, her strange accent was all but gone, Ariwa pretended not to notice, she was probably still recovering he assured himself._

_"Rusc...you're alright," his voice was a harsh croak._

_"I am now," her voice trailed off. "Thanks to you...Ebbisu."_

_"But I-I didn't...I didn't do anything."_

_"You did enough," Rusc said softly before reverting back to silence, Ariwa took a moment to drink Rusc in, her fiery hair was like a candle that illuminated the darkness around them. And she was smiling. "I was in a really bad place...but I'm not now...because of you...because you're here," she continued._

_"Rusc what are you saying?"_

_"I need you Ebbisu," her voice was barely a whisper and she seemed to tremble in the darkness her bright eyes beckoning him to come closer, he took a deep and shuddering breath._

_He took a slow step forward, sucking hard on the stiff cold air, it felt like nothing, like breathing in absolutely nothing, and it was then that he realized how far away Rusc had truly been, the distance was so great and yet, she was so terribly close, if he wanted to he could have reached out and grabbed a lock of her unkempt curls, but there was this weird feeling he just couldn't shake, the feeling that he couldn't touch her, no matter how hard he tried._

_"Please Ebbisu, I need you," her voice was farther away now than ever._

_He took another step forward but something stopped him short._

_"Lord Sesshomaru look there are people!"_

_Ariwa looked around, there was a little girl's voice but no little girl, it was just him and Rusc._

_"Ebbisu I need you."_

_"Rusc I-_

"Quiet girl what are you going on about?" another voice, a shrill voice.

"Look between those trees, there are people there master Jaken!" the girl again.

_"There are people here..." Ariwa muttered looking around but there was nothing, just darkness and Rusc still too far and too close. Her eyes screaming for him._

_"Ebbisu please!" she was howling now._

"Rin where are you going! Get back here at once young lady or you will be left behind!" the shrill voice howled.

"But Lord Sesshomaru look! It's a man and a woman...I never seen hair like that," the little voice gasped and Ariwa was certain someone was with them.

"Where are you!" he gave a nervous shout spinning around to find the source of the voices.

"Wait! Lord Sesshomaru, Master Jaken, I don't think they're okay...they look sick."

"Rin, Leave them it's none of our concern," another voice.

"But Lord Sesshomaru, we can't just leave them there it's not right...we should help them."

Silence.

_"Please don't leave us! Rusc can you hear it? There are people" Ariwa asked looking over to Rusc who was farther away now than she had ever been._

_"Please Ebbisu," she muttered her voice so desperate it hurt._

_"Rusc," he muttered weakly he wasn't sure why she wanted him so badly, he took another step forward but he didn't seem to get any closer to her, she was just as far as ever if not further. And there was something else, something horrible. Creatures, tiny little ugly things; all teeth and eyes, with mouths too wide for their faces, they barely reached her knees. And they clung to her legs as though for dear life. "Ebbisu," she whimpered._

_Her name caught in his throat, he took a moment trying to process everything. He took a moment. "Get away from her!" he shouted, rushing to Rusc, trying his best to scare off the creatures with little luck, with every step he took Rusc seemed to move farther and farther away from him. "Rusc!" he tried to run faster, but it wasn't a matter of speed. Still he chased after her, trying his best to catch her, if he could just grab her hand everything would be okay, he told himself. But he couldn't, the task was just impossible, it was as though Rusc didn't want to be saved, as though she were trying to get away from him, get as far away as possible._

"Rusc!" he blurted jolting upright, he was in the forest again, the morning sun burning his retnas, he gave a weak wince, turning to Rusc, just as still and pale as ever.

There were people with them, though he couldn't see them. The sun had been to bright for that sort of thing, he could just feel them, feel their eyes on him. Suddenly he was aware of how cold he was. He flinched, taking a deep breath.

"Please...she nuh-needs...help," he muttered, weakly before succumbing to the darkness once more, but this time Rusc was not there.

"We have to help him Lord Sesshomaru, please use your magic sword on them!"

There was a long silence before there was an answer.

"Rin My sword only works on the dead...these two aren't much alive but they aren't dead either, the tensaiga won't work on them," a cold voice explained.

"Then we can take them to Jinenji...he helped me save master Jaken maybe he can help them too! I know the way, please My Lord!" the girl was pleading, maybe even crying.

"Lord Sesshomaru help them? Whatever happened to them is none of our business! Right Mi'lord?" the shrill voice hissed practically begging for approval.

"Jaken help Rin get the demon and the human onto Ah-Un."

"Thank you Lord Sesshomaru!"

* * *

><p><em>Silence, and darkness, and nothing but that. Ariwa felt the cool grip of death tighten and shift through his bones as his body grew limp, he couldn't bare to stand anymore, though he wasn't quite sure if he was even standing to begin with. If Rusc was dead, he would be joining her very soon he thought. And he wasn't afraid to admit that he didn't mind seeing her again.<em>

_Cold air tickling his face, even in the void of the darkness his senses weren't completely dulled. He was moving, being moved somewhere...else. _

_"Rusc...I'm coming to you..." _


	8. Eight: Inuyasha

It had taken the group quite some time to find, Tokutomi's castle. The silver haired half-demon had been silent the entire way, his eyes on Sango who was lost in her own head.

He wanted to say something to her but nothing came to mind, nothing felt right, lucky for him though, he didn't have to say anything because Miroku began to speak.

"Sango you've been awfully quiet," began the monk a worried look spread clear across his face.

"It's not just Sango...Inuyasha's been quiet too," Kagome said eying her silver haired friend in her usual shrill and concerned tone. Inuyasha frowned snorting some.

"Don't worry about me I'm just fine," he said stiffly, though he wasn't sure how much of that was true; he felt fine but something was off, but he couldn't place it.

"Inuyasha you're not fooling anyone you've been just as quiet as Sango here," Inuyasha couldn't tell if Kagome or Shippo were speaking now, he was already tired of talking.

"Sango's probably thinking about her brother again," Inuyasha said blunt as ever. Sango nearly jumped out of her skin, the half-demon was very good at catching her off guard.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome again, furious this time. "How insensitive can you be?"

"Kagome, please. Inuyasha's right, I've been thinking about Kohaku...a lot actually. And umm Tokutomi. This whole thing feels so strange..like somethings not right," Sango finally spoke up, her voice barely lifting off the ground but somehow they all seemed to hear her just fine.

Kagome nodded her head a pained look on her face.

"I thought...I thought I was the only one who felt it," the priestess muttered weakly.

"No I felt it," said Inuyasha stiffly, "Something ain't right here," he couldn't place it but he knew something was off, a cool breeze picked up and the trees around them creaked and groaned painfully, and there was a smell in the air, like blood and yet...not. He didn't dare bring it up though, not yet. Something told him to keep it to himself.

* * *

><p>Tokutomi's castle was a massive fortress centered in the middle of a translucent lake. Kagome couldn't help but faun over the sheer beauty of it.<p>

"Hey Kagome look at this!" the young fox demon shouted causing Kagome to whirl around to face him. He had been looking to at something on the ground, a crude drawing of...a castle.

"It looks like a drawing...of a castle," Kagome said eying the strange drawing in the dirt.

"Doesn't look like any castle I've ever seen," Inuyasha snorted.

"Well that's because its not from Japan-

"Yeah dummy," Shippo was more than eager to chime in, anything to make Inuyasha look silly. The half demon frowned glaring down at Shippo with tawny yellow eyes. Shippo made a face swallowing hard on the air.

"It looks like a castle from the west," Kagome's voice trailed off.

"A castle from the west?"Miroku repeated. "How curious."

"Yeah it looks like it...I wonder who could have left it he-

Kagome was cut off by the sound of feet.

"Hello there can I help you?" a young girl asked, from behind them, she was carrying a number of parchments and scrolls; wanted posters, Kagome noted with a slight frown.

"Oh hello there, we're looking for Tokutomi do you think you can help us?" Miroku began. The girl made a face, she was about to speak when Kagome began talking again.

"Hey umm what are those posters for?"

The girl flinched making a face.

"My lord Tokutomi wanted us to place out wanted posters...for the demon who-who took Ariwa," she was on the verge of tears now, eyes misted over.

"You sound like you really care about Ariwa," Kagome said clasping at her chest, she had a weakness for love stories, and the girl gave a weak nod of her head.

Inuyasha held in a dejected snort.

"I do...I knew him before he and Tokutomi realized they were brothers...he used to be so sweet...and then-and then that demon came-

"Did the demon hurt Ariwa?" Miroku asked hints of concern clinging to his words.

"No...I don't know...he just suddenly kept meeting the thing, but it kept making him bring things to it, things to read and food...and then it took him away," the girl was crying now.

Inuyasha frowned, though he had heard every word the girl said he couldn't seem to make sense of any of it. This Ariwa, he thought with frown, took food and things to read to a demon? I didn't quite sit right with him, the story didn't make sense.

"Heh, you mean to tell us that this guy just starts feeding a demon and reading bedtime stories to it? Please sounds more like he was a little more interested in the thing if you know what I mean," Inuyasha said forcing himself to laugh, it was a bitter cold sound, like he was forcing it all out.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome snapped, eyes full of fire, but he ignored her, forcing himself to snort out a laugh. The girl's story brought back memories, memories he didn't want to think about.

"You take that back! Ariwa would never run off with a demon! Never!" the girl continued to snap. "Ariwa's afraid of his own shadow, why would he run of with a disgusting demon? Why would anyone run off with a demon!"

"Whatever," was all the silver haired half-demon said, that strange smell was on the air again.

It wasn't so weird, a human and a demon falling for each other, he thought, letting his senses be carried away on the breeze. His father had loved his mother before he was slain, and he had loved Kikyo-Kikyo-his time with Kikyo seemed like forever ago, like a song that faded away just as it caught his ears.

Behind him he could barely hear his friends making excuses for his rude behavior, could hear them talking about meeting Tokutomi and about the demon, he couldn't find it in him to care, his mind was too clouded now, clouded with thoughts of Kikyo, Kikyo and the demon who took this Ariwa, he didn't know why he was feeling this way, why he was thinking about them, about her, but he couldn't stop, it was like something was forcing him to think about her, think about Kikyo.

The wind picked up and with it the scent on the air grew stronger. He flinched turning to everyone; until now he hadn't realized that they had all been calling out for him, he made a face he tried to find the words. "There's a scent coming from those trees," his voice was barely a whisper, already he could see the worry forming in Kagome's eyes, she knew his voice to a Tee, its every wavering decibel recognized by her ears and hers alone. But she didn't speak, not so much as a squeak of disapproval left her lips. "It's nothing to worry about, but I think I'm going to check it out...it's probably nothing though," he assured her.

"You should be careful anyway Inuyasha," Sango said, finding her voice again, "You never know."

"Sango's right Inuyasha-I know you'll be fine but you should still try to be careful," the tone in her voice pained him, it was as though she were pleading with him not to go but he needed to, he needed the time to himself. He needed to get the thoughts of Kikyo out of his head.

He looked Kagome over, examining her soft expression thoroughly before nodding a silent response. He couldn't stay there. He just couldn't.

* * *

><p>Inuyasha followed the scent deeper into the woods, it didn't lead him anywhere special, an old dogwood tree growing warped over a small pond, nothing Inuyasha cared for, but there was something else, something beyond the sink of blood, something he couldn't place. And it was attached to a voice.<p>

"Rusc...what did they do to you," it was a cold voice far off and dripping with anger.


	9. Nine: Tokutomi

"Lord Tokutomi, there are visitors here for you," Tsuna began in a weak whisper as she stared at her lord's sickly pale face. Just days ago he had been a picture of perfect health but now, he looked ready to keel over and die. "My lord are you feeling alright?" the words fell sloppily from her trembling lips.

Tokutomi glared at her with dark glazed over eyes. "I'm fine," he hissed, but he didn't sound it, the bass in his voice had all but gone and his body rattled loudly with each word he spoke, but he pretended not to notice. Running a shaky pale hand through his dark hair, pushing his messy sweat soaked locks out of his face. His eyes were puffy and rimmed with bloody purple colored bags as though he had spent days rubbing them, over, and over, and over again. Pounding his fists into his eye sockets until the skin was inflamed and raw and bruised.

He cleared his throat, breaking Tsuna's gaze off of him. "These guests...what do they want?" he asked taking pauses between words to breathe.

Tsuna only shook her head. "They're here about Ariwa, they want to save him."

"What about the demon?" Tokutomi hissed quickly, perhaps too quickly; Tsuna took several nervous steps back gripping her arms hard holding herself in place as best she could, there was something off about her master, it was as though he didn't want his brother to be found at all, it was almost as though he just wanted the demon, but for what Tsuna couldn't even begin to imagine, what use after all could a demon be? She bit at the inside of her cheek and and huffed out a deep breath before answering with a very quiet, very nervous, very shaky, "no." Tokutomi snorted loudly, rolling his eyes with such vigor, Tsuna thought it might have hurt.

"Do you want me to send them in? They're waiting to speak with you," Tsuna continued. Tokutomi made a face nodding his head.

Tsuna didn't waste time, scrambling for the door, soon as Tokutomi had answered her, she wanted nothing more than to be as far away from him as possible.

The silence Tsuna left him in was almost calming, almost, lately Tokutomi had been having trouble clearing his head, all he could think about was the demon, and getting more blood, and how brittle his body was starting to feel, as though he were made out of slowly cracking glass.

The group that walked in was small, two women, one man, and two very tiny demons, Tokutomi felt his blood boil over with a terrifying sort of excitement as he began to ask himself if their blood would do just as well as as the she-beast that ran off with his brother.

He frowned, no, he didn't want there blood, even if their blood worked better than hers, he still wanted her blood, only that demon would do.

One of the girls cleared her throat loud as she could to catch his attention.

"We heard your brother was taken by a demon?" the first girl said with a kind sort of sadness that on a different and better day, might have tugged at Tokutomi's heart strings, but today he only stared.

"Yes," was the answer that crept from between Tokutomi's trembling lips.

The group exchanged looks. "Right well, we heard about your brother and we want to help you find them and take down the demon that took him from you," the girl with the sadness in her voice seemed all too proud of herself.

"Take down?" he stumbled over the words. His eyes filled with fire and brimstone at the very notion of the words, he licked his lips and grunted something inaudible that made the girls shrink in their skin.

"I...think I'm going to see where Inuyasha went off to," said the oddly dressed girl, her dark hair slung over her shoulder as she quickly made her way out of the large room, Tokutomi had been making her uncomfortable, she couldn't place it but there was a strange demonic presence lingering over him, something foul was in the air she could sense it, she wasn't sure what it was, but it was their a faint feeling of unease, something horrible was going to happen soon. She wondered if it had anything at all to do with what Inuyasha had said earlier...she paused in her thoughts shaking her head. _Kagome, you need to get a grip_, she thought, giving herself a good mental kick.

The monk was speaking now, his voice treading on nervous caution, "So," he began probing his mind for the right questions. "The demon that took your brother what did it look like?"

"What did it look like?" Tokutomi was breathing the words, his lips hanging onto each syllable.

"She had horns and her skin...it was purple...like lavender never seen skin that color before...never seen hair that color before..." he trailed off and the monk had to bring him back on track.

"Her hair was also purple?"

Tokutomi choked out a laugh, "don't be ridiculous," he said in that breathy whisper again. "Her hair was like fire...wild and red-I think it might have been brighter than fire...so bright," he trailed off again, his eyes more glazed than they had ever been. The small Fox demon crawled up the solemn woman's leg, and onto her shoulder, trembling.

"Well Tokutomi...Sir, I'm sure you'll be able to sleep well at night knowing you're brother will be brought back to you soon, we'll do everything in our power to get him back home!" she added.

"What about the demon?" Tokutomi was barely listening to the girl, she wasn't saying anything he cared about, he only cared about the demon.

"The...demon?" asked the monk clearly confused.

"Yes...what are you going to do to the demon?"

"Kill it of course...unless you had other plans in mind for the creature," Tokutomi only smiled, yes he had other plans for the demon, so many plans, he smiled a little wider as he watched as the group or what was left of it with a slight incline of their heads, left him to stew in the silence, Tokutomi liked the silence.


	10. Ten: Braichon

Rusc always annoyed her brother, she wasn't like the older siblings Briachon had grown up with, she was a natural warrior or a skillful tactician, she was just a girl, a girl who smiled to wide and laughed to much, but she was a girl who was promised to the most terrifying man he knew, a man who would easily tear the world in half just to kill the person who plucked a single hair from her head. But she was also his sister.

Briachon rose from the water, hair wet and heavy with water; besides him an old dogwood tree was warped and painted with congealed dried blood, he swallowed hard on the air, memories of his siblings being slaughtered before his eyes rushing back, "Not you too..." he whimpered beneath his breath, the briar heart could feel his hard breaking all over again. He held his breath and sucked the air down through his nose, all he could smell was blood, human blood, and Fumorii blood, and dog.

He swallowed hard on the air, he did his best for years to keep away from his sister, to harden himself to her but the smell of her blood brought his eyes to a mist. He flinched, ducking his head under his shoulder not wanting even the trees to see him crying, no one could see him like this, no one would ever see him like this. Teary eyed and weak. Everybody dies, he thought trying his best to compose himself, but it didn't help, sure everyone had to die at some point, but his sister she wasn't supposed to die.

She wasn't supposed to die, he was repeating the words like a mantra, repeated the words until they felt strange in his head. And he was no longer sure what he was saying, and then he continued repeating it, until the words lost all meaning and the sadness and despair that clung to them so fiercely lost all meaning, and there was only anger left.

Braichon felt himself grow cold, felt his heart mend and harden all over again and he frowned deeply.

"Rusc what did they do to you?" he muttered, sucking hard on the air. The smell of dog was all around him now, dog, and blood, and human.

Slowly he let his tips of his fingers dance around the hilt of his war hammer, several sizes larger than he was and he glared into the forest.

"Where's my sister," he howled glaring into the trees with cold green eyes.

Inuyasha only stared out at the man, who had been much taller than he was, a crown of what looked like tree back kept pale yellow hair out of his plum colored face. "A demon," Inuyasha breathed the words, slowly regaining his composure.

"This place reeks of human blood."

"What did you do to my sister!" Briachon snapped showing off fangs that put Inuyasha's own canines to shame.

Inuyasha snorted. "I don't know what you're talking about, but I do know this place reeks of human blood and you're the only demon here for miles!" Inuyasaha began in a tone that made Braichon narrow his eyes.

"I'm not leaving without my sister, dog," Briachon continued, ignoring Inuyasha, as he extended his arm, pulling his war hammer from its holder on his back. "So give her up...and I just might spare your life."

"I already told you pal I don't know what the hell you're talking about but if it's a fight you want I'll gladly put you into place," Inuyasha snapped a cool grin playing on his lips as he unsheathed his massive demon sword; the Tetsiga glowed a demonic yellow as it changed its shape.

Braichon looked nothing short of unphased, his green eyes baring through Inuyasha.

"I can assure you dog, we are not pals. Now my sisters or I'll break you down to size."

"I already told you I don't know what the hell you're talking about!" Inuyasha could feel his blood boiling, he was getting tired of this guy screaming at him to give back a person he had never met.

Braichon made the first strike, his head of his enormous war hammer slamming onto the ground with an earth shattering _**thud**_; Inuyasha barely managed dodged the blow, jumping back into a nearby tree. He tried to regain his footing, not an easy task, the world seemed to be shaking from the sheer force of the blow.

Inuyasha couldn't see a thing, his vision impaired by the large cloud of dust swirling in round in the air.

Inuyasha didn't have time to dodge the hammer again.

The loud sound of clashing metal echoed throughout the forest and hissed in Inuyasha's ears.

He could feel the weight of Braichon's hammer surging through his body, feel his bones rattling under the Braichon's force. He could barely stand it.

Inuyasha rolled out from Braichon's hammer, falling with a sickening _thud_ on to the ground.

Inuyasha picked himself up with some effort, the dust was starting to settle around them and Inuyasha could just barely make out Braichon's tall form in the haze. Inuyasha ground his teeth, his arm was broken, he sucked down the pain, he hadn't expected him to be so strong. Braichon had looked like a pretty boy, blue make up in tribal patterns across full lips, and green eyes that smouldered like suffocating ice.

The briar heart took a slow step forward setting his war hammer onto his shoulder, he whistled tunelessly as he began taking slow steps toward Inuyasha-the tetsiga had been buried into the trunk of a tree a some odd feet away, he could have made a run to it, but he wasn't sure if he would have made it, the demon was much faster than he assumed he would be, calculating his ever move.

Briachon grinned, still very much whistling as he prepared to swing at Inuyasha a third time, war hammer held perfectly steady in his left hand.

"Inuyasha!"

Briachon froze whirling around hoping to see his sister, "Rusc," her name fell like something limp and cold from his lips, and he almost immediately wished he could have sucked them back into his mouth when he seen it wasn't her. He glared at the dark haired girl, more than ready to flatten her with his hammer for being the wrong girl.

"Kuh-kagome? What the hell are you doing here?" Inuyasha practically blurted shooing her off.

"I had to get out of there Tokutomi gave me the creeps," she said truthfully before pausing looking to Briachon, his green eyes frozen on her.

"Woman, where is my sister?"

"Your...sister?" Kagome froze thinking.

"This place reeks of her blood...you can't hide her forever dog," he snapped again attention on Inuyasha once more.

Kagome made a face rushing in front of her friend much to the half-demon's dismay.

"I'm pretty sure Inuyasha doesn't know where your sister is," Kagome frowned trying her best to look tough.

Briachon frowned. "Your friend is the only one here...and his scent is everywhere along with my sisters blood...where is she?" he was howling now, glaring at Kagome, his eyes threatening to chew through her.

"Inuyasha just got here!"

"Save your breath Kagome, his skulls pretty thick."

Briachon glared at Inuyasha, more than ready to slam his hammer into the half-breed but Kagome stopped him short.

"I don't know where your sister is...or who she is for that matter but I think we can help you!"

"Kagome we're not helping this bastard!" Inuyasha snapped only to slammed into the ground by a barrage of angry "sit boys" having been spat at him by the young priestess.

"We can help you...I mean I think we can...Lord Tokutomi's brother is missing too-

"I don't care about your lord's brother, I only care about my sister," Braichon hissed, and Kagome rolled her eyes.

"Well if you would let me finish talking!" Kagome began to raise her voice but the look Braichon gave her almost instantly made her lower it once more. "Lord Tokutomi's brother is missing...he says a demon took his brother but...maybe we can help you find your sister along the way."

Briachon had never scoffed louder in his life. "Amusing woman, you have with you."

"Yeah...hilarious," Inuyasha muttered beneath his breath, he didn't know what Kagome was up to but it made him uncomfortable, helping a demon, one that stunk of human flesh no less, for all they knew he could been the one to steal Tokutomi's brother, but something told Inuyasha that that wasn't quite right. Still the idea that Kagome wanted to help this demon with unfeeling green eyes made him feel like he was sitting in a pot of pins and needles.

"I'm serious!" shouted Kagome exchanging looks between the two, and she meant it, Kagome was quite serious, she didn't know why but she had a strange feeling about Tokutomi's missing brother and the demon's missing sister. Could they have run off together? She found herself asking a series of mental questions she couldn't quite answer herself. It was something Inuyasha had said earlier, something he said about Ariwa being interested in the demon. Somehow that made since to her. "I think we can help each other," her voice was barely a whisper.

Braichon narrowed his eyes at her before in putting his hammer away in one fluid sweep of his arm.

Inuyasha swallowed hard on the air, half of him wanted to curse Kagome for getting in the way, but another half was relieved or maybe surprised that she was able to talk the stubborn demon out of his plans to begin with. He heaved out a long and heavy sigh holding onto his arm tightly, as he made his way over to Kagome.

"That was really stupid of you," he snapped glaring at the young girl, her brown eyes holding his look of contempt, shooting it right back at him with marksman like precision. He flinched swallowing the words that were gather in his mouth and Kagome smirked, walking off.

The day passed for inuyasha passed by in fleeting moments spent mostly glaring at Braichon and exchanging the occasional backhanded remark that all too often had fallen on deaf ears as Braichon much to Inuyasha's dismay learned very quickly that the quickest way to anger the half-demon was to simply ignore him, and the briar heart was very well suited to ignoring him.

When night fell, the gang was back together again, Inuyasha perched high up in a nearby tree, still holding his arm, it wasn't broken any more it had healed hours ago, the only thing that hurt now was his pride, but still it felt good, almost comforting to hold his arm the way he was.

Beneath the the group was talking about Tokutomi over a small campfire that lapped at a fairly large rabbit skewered on a spit in side the dancing orange flames.

"Ummm Kagome?" Shippo began in a nervous squeak hurrying into her lap. Kagome smiled down at the small fox demon raising a very curious eyebrow.

"Why is there a big scary demon with us?" Shippo asked the fear clinging to his voice.

Before Kagome could answer Sango and Miroku were already joining in with hushed voices.

"Yes I was afraid to bring it up," said Sango.

"Oh...well...he and Inuyasha got into a fight earlier," began Kagome a little shocked they hadn't had this talk earlier. "He was looking for his sister," she continued when she had seen the looks of worry spreading across her friends faces. "She's missing too..." she trailed off.

"You think the two disappearances are linked don't you?"

"It's a possibility..."Kagome's voice was barely a whisper. "But I'm not even sure how they could possibly be connected...I don't even know what his sister looks like."

"Well I suppose its a stroke of good luck then that we actually stayed to listen to Tokutomi what little he had to say anyway...he was pretty obsessed with the demon...he said the one that took his brother had purple skin, horns, and bright red hair," Miroku explained before flinching, Briachon was talking to himself, whispering something over and over in a stagnated repetition, it was a name.

"Oleani," he was whimpering the name, as though in reaction to Miroku's description and he froze thinking.

"Oleani...is that the name of your missing sister?" Miroku asked curiously.

Braichon's body went stiff, and the air seemed to get a little heavier.

"No," he muttered earnestly.

"Oh, I'm only asking because you keep repeating name Oleani..." Miroku continued much to Braichon's displeasure, he didn't like to think about his elder sister, so sweet and lovely and rotting pinned to a tree besides their brother.

"She's no one," Briachon huffed out a growl, glaring at Miroku before turning away to look up at the cloudless night sky barely visible between the cover of the trees.


End file.
